1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to marine type ratchets used for rigging, tying down, bracing, mooring, securing and towing and, more specifically, to a master ratchet widely used in the marine industry designed for securing the connection between barges into what is termed “tows”. The device is a vital piece of equipment in this industry. The master ratchet employs hydraulics and is designed to make a vital operation carried out hundreds of times daily on our waterways safe and efficient. As a result companies become more productive and profitable with fewer injuries to employees.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other devices designed for hydraulics. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,288 issued to Sarosdy on Nov. 5, 1940.
Another patent was issued to Baillie, et al. on Aug. 29, 1967 as U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,359. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,699 was issued to Heese, et al. on Apr. 13, 1976 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 18, 1978 to Patterson, III, et al. as U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,875.
Another patent was issued to Yoshikai, et al. on Aug. 28, 1979 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,165,705. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,163 was issued to Capron on Jul. 3, 1990. Another was issued to Fahrner on Aug. 14, 1990 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,778 and still yet another was issued on Dec. 17, 1991 to Kaucic as U.S. Pat. No. 5,072,685.
Another patent was issued to Huang on Apr. 7, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,228. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 6,487,985 was issued to Kuhlman on Dec. 3, 2002. Another was issued to Smith on Oct. 15, 2002 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,869.
A steamboat ratchet comprising a tubular housing, a nut in each end of the housing, a screw threaded into each nut, abutments carried on the housing: against which the nuts bear when the screws are subjected to tension, the inner ends of said nuts being at an oblique angle to the axis thereof, a spacer tube in said housing extending between said nuts, said spacer tube also having its ends at an oblique angle to its axis and engaging the inner ends of said nuts whereby to cause rotation thereof with said spacer tube, and means securing said spacer tube to said housing.
In a ratchet-type load binder of a type having a double-ended pawl pivotally mounted on a load binder handle for selective engagement in either of two adjusted positions with a load binder ratchet wheel; pawl control mechanism including first socket engagement means formed in the pawl spaced from and extending parallel with the pawl pivot axis and movable with the pawl; similar second socket engagement means formed in the handle extending parallel with the first socket engagement means and the pawl pivot axis, and fixed in spaced relation with respect to said pawl pivot axis; a pair of similar pressure members, each pressure member having a shank, a boss at one shank end having a cylindrical portion extending at 90° with respect to the axis of the shank, and a shoulder formed at the intersection of the shank with the boss; a coil spring member having end portions; the pair of pressure members being assembled with the coil spring member with pressure member shanks received in opposed spaced relation within end portions of the spring and with the spring end portions seated on said pressure member shoulders; the boss of one pressure member being seated in the first socket means; and the boss of the other pressure member being seated in the second socket means.
A method of and apparatus for connecting two vessels, such as a tugboat and a barge, to form a composite vessel, are disclosed. The method uses hydraulically powered apparatus completely controlled from one of the vessels to extend a shaft from one vessel toward the other vessel which has apparatus to capture the extended shaft. The method accommodates substantial misalignment between the vessels being connected by permitting lateral adjustment during connection. The apparatus for effecting the connection includes an active member carried by one of the vessels and a passive member carried by the other of the vessels. The active member is hydraulically actuated, includes a longitudinally reciprocable shaft which is actuated by a powered toggle linkage, and includes a release mechanism. The passive member is carried by the other of the vessels and automatically engages the shaft of the active member. The toggle linkage establishes a latching mechanism which does not require separate locking members and which does not fail in the event of pressure loss or hydraulic fluid leakage.
A connector for barges and the like is provided in the form of a threaded ratchet tube, a central ratchet drive for rotating said tube, an annular drive wheel surrounding and connected to said tube for rotating the same, separate right and left hand threaded screw members having one end threaded into said tube, fastening means on the other end of each said screw members and removable anchor means adapted to engage a surface over which the ratchet tube extends engaging one of said fastening means and holding said tube above said surface a distance greater than the radius of said annular drive wheel.
The coupling mechanism comprises a pair of spaced connecting rods secured to the stern of a barge and apparatus mounted on the tug for receiving the connecting rods. The rod receiving apparatus comprises a pair of vertical circular disc members each having a diameter smaller than the spacing between the connecting rods. Contact members are secured to the peripheries of the circular disc members to form a V shaped groove therebetween for receiving the connecting rods. The circular disc members are urged toward each other by a spring, and stop members are provided to limit the rotational movement of the circular disc members. A cushion member is provided to absorb the shock created when the tug and barge are coupled together. Further, a holding device is provided for holding the coupling mechanism in an operative state or in an inoperative state.
A barge connecting system for connecting a first vessel to a second vessel comprising three spaced parallel rectangular shaped plates, the first plate of which is attached to the stem of a lead vessel, and the third plate of which abuts or may be attached to the bow of a following vessel. Bracing for the second and third plates is provided by plurality of diagonal wire cables each of which has one end connected to a corner of the first rectangular shaped plate and the opposite end connected to either a corner of the second rectangular shaped plate or a corner of the third rectangular shaped plate. Positioned vertically between the first and second plates are a first pair of pneumatic fenders which are rotatably mounted on the first plate by wire cables. There is positioned horizontally between the second and third plates a second pair of pneumatic fenders which are mounted on third plate by wire cables. The fenders allow horizontal movement of the second and third plates with respect to the first plate and vertical movement of third plate with respect to the first and second plates. Since the fenders are pneumatic, a surge force generated by the following vessel will be absorbed, the fenders will then expand and the following vessel will return to an equilibrium position with respect to the lead vessel. At least a pair of tow lines are used to connect to stem of the lead vessel to the bow of the following vessel when said third rectangular shaped plate is not attached to the bow of said following vessel.
An apparatus for interconnecting a pair of barges, or other waterborne vessels, to facilitate hookup and release of barges in an “on-hip” arrangement with a powered vessel. Oriented on the bow of each barge, coincident with the barge's longitudinal center line, is a bracket terminating in a socket. A pivot shaft with an upper ball adapted to fit in the socket is provided with a lower trunion to support a bridge element whereby two barges may be connected. The bridge element is free to rotate in a horizontal plane about the pivot shafts to allow swinging movement of the barges and the ball-in-socket fitting allows a limited range of independent movement for the barges such as in swells. Movement limiting fenders and chains are provided to control swing of the barges. Such an apparatus allows a single tug or dredge to rapidly make up a dual barge push towing arrangement.
Hydraulic system for controlling tug-barge cables. A closed hydraulic loop is connected to a cylinder and includes a pump to reciprocate the piston and to apply constant tension through the cylinder and piston to the cables.
A barge linking system which includes a pair of flexible connector assemblies stored on board a rear pontoon of a pair pontoons to be connected at sea. Each flexible connector assembly has a forward housing and a rear housing which are connected by a shear pin and rotate about the shear pin. Attached to the front end of the forward housing is flexible rubber sleeve which encases a substantial portion of a chain sling. The front end of the chain sling, which extends from the rubber sleeve, has a master link which allows the chain sling to be connected to a cable from a winch on board the forward pontoon. The rear housing of the flexible connector assembly has a chain shackle which allows the rear housing to be connected to a cable from a winch on board the rear pontoon. The forward housing has a pair of slots which align with a pair of slots in the forward pontoon, while the rear housing has a pair of slots which align with a pair of slots in the rear pontoon. A first guillotine collar is inserted into the aligned slots of the forward housing and first pontoon to secure the forward pontoon to the forward housing. A second guillotine collar is inserted into the aligned slots of the rear housing and rear pontoon to secure the forward pontoon to the forward housing of the connector assembly.
A connection apparatus is provided for connecting a ram of a pusher vessel with a receiver installed in a stem notch of a barge, the connection head for mounting on the ram having a generally pentagonal shape and the receiver having two opposed side walls with one side wall being flat and the other side wall having projecting teeth.
A reciprocating barge coupling device for removably coupling adjacent barges floating on a water body and allowing vertical movement of the barges with respect to each other typically due to the wave-induced rise and fall of the barges. In a preferred embodiment the reciprocating barge coupling device is characterized by a pair of coupling units of substantially identical construction mounted on the responsive barges, each of which coupling units is fitted with an elongated, vertical coupling channel and a T-bolt. In application, the barges are positioned in adjacent, end-to-end relationship to each other, with the vertical coupling channels of the respective coupling units in substantially aligned, facing relationship with respect to each other. The T-bolt of one of the coupling units can be selectively extended through the registering coupling channels of both coupling units, rotated to cause engagement of the T-bolt head with the opposite coupling unit and locked in place, to removably couple the barges to each other. Accordingly, the extended T-bolt is capable of bidirectional vertical movement in the coupling channel of the receiving coupling unit, and the floating barges remain coupled to each other as the barges rise and fall with respect to each other in the water.
While these ratchet devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.